LEIGH MR gave departing coach Ian Taylor a champagne send-off.

Heading away to assist Aussie Steve Linnane at Rochdale Hornets, he leaves with the sweet memory of Miners turning over last season's Premier Division champions.

West Hull never got a look-in as they were dumped 37-14.

Taylor's investment in young colts Sean Frawley and Andy Gorski is paying rich and instant dividends.

On three minutes prop Frawley and Mick Warburton combined to send second rower Gorski steaming in for the first try.

Warburton himself grabbed the second, Mick Evans adding his third goal and Alan Coleman adding a drop for 15-0.

Miners looked confident and always dangerous with Lee Stretch's tough tackling, Ian Hudspith elusive at half-back, loose-forward Chris Flynn playing his top game for the club and Andy Collier leading by example.

West Hull showed some style to grab their first score, but Miners began the second period with the same verve, Mick Farrimond pouncing on a fumble for a gift TD.

Mark Sarsfield accelerated away for a try, Chris Lee added the goal, subs Sean Kelly and Lee Lomax kept up the pressure.

The champs staged a mini-revival before Peter Sharp scored, then made the final try for Sarsfield.

Ex-Swinton and Salford man Ken Jones now takes MR's coaching reins in a caretaker role. Watch this space!

Miners U16s won 21-20 at Widnes St Michael's, taking it with the last kick of the game, a field goal from West. Tries from Marsh, Hackett and Holmes.

LEIGH'S Royal Oak thundered to another blockbusting win in the NorthWest Counties ARL Division Four, winning 44-20 at Woolston.

MoM P Wilcock caused constant havoc in attack and there were good efforts from M Wilcock, A Ashcroft and the Buxton brothers.

Tries from P Wilcock 4, M Wilcock, M Newall, D Fishwick and A Peachey, C Buxton hitting six goals.

Rest of the results - Premier Division: Parkside Golborne 13 Halton Simms Cross 16; Division One: West Bank 22 Leigh MR 16; Division Two: Bold Miners 18 Hindley 16; Division Three: Leigh Harriers 34 Blackbrook 10; Division Four: Culcheth 50 Irlam Hornets 8; Division Six: Cadishead 17 Parkside Golborne A 20, Leigh East 34 Pilkington A 6; Alliance: Leigh MR 0 Eccles 18.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.